Thoughts Right Now
by RedRaspberryswirl
Summary: A new substance appears, and causes many menacing results for Serge's party....
1. Thoughts Right Now

Disclaimer: I do not own anything or any one of the characters... blah blah blah  


**  
Thoughts Right Now  
By RedRaspberryswirl  
I.**  
  


Serge looked up at Leena. Her bright red hair glistened in the warm Termina sun. They were waiting to meet up with Kid, a bit too long. And though Serge had once thought that Leena was the girl, his run in with Kid was starting to tell him differently.   
Leena stayed quiet and kept her eyes away from Serge's. He could tell that she wanted to say something to him, but that she was too shy to venture it. He threw that out of his mind and replaced it with the indestructable image of Kid. She was so beautiful, and so amazingly strong in his eyes. He had been amazed by her in so many different ways. As opposed to Leena, who had always been rather predictable. Yes, he kinda sorta liked Leena, seeing that he had grown up with her his entire life in Arni Village, and done almost everything with her (and for her). But Kid... Something about her just made him feel so safe. Even when she was near death, which happened more than he would have liked, she always seemed to be able to protect him. Ever since they met, it always seemed that they were there for eachother, be it friendship or, hopefully, more than that. Though he had a wonderful sensation in body when he thought of Kid, knowing that Leena liked him made him feel horrible. He wanted so badly to tell Leena about his feelings for Kid, as best friends would do. But this haunting fact kept him from doing so.  
He stared at Leena once again, hoping that she wasn't looking. He looked at every aspect of her body, from her gleaming hair to her peddler shoes. And though he couldn't see one imperfection in her, he felt her shyness and most of all, her innocence. And that intimidated him, even more than Kid did. He wouldn't say that Leena was "quaint", because she could say the same thing about him. He would more willingly say that Leena was the type of girl that was too easily loved. And with love, he needed more of a challenge, which was exactly what Kid posed him. Kid possessed an air of mystery to him, she always kept him on his toes, wanting more.  
  
  
At the same time, Kid was at the harbor to meet Leena and Serge. She did not really want to encounter Leena for too long a time, if it could be avoided. It's not that she did not like Leena. Leena was dandy in her eyes. But Kid knew that she would pose a threat to a love that was bound to happen.   
Also on her mind was Korcha. Korcha had been creeping her out lately. He had been hanging on her and whispering things in Serge's ear. He had also trying to catch her eye. Yet she still remained friendly to him. The last thing she wanted to do was tear up Serge's party because of a could-be love. She tried as hard as she could to remain neutral, or uninterested. But she knew that she had fallen for Serge. She couldn't quite pick out when it happened. Perhaps she started to figure it out when She and Serge and Guile ran into Harle, and she felt a twinge of jealousy as she watched Harle flirt relentlessly with Serge in Viper Manor.   
But that was all behind her now. Harle was in cohorts with that damned Lynx. It wasn't like Serge would be foolish enough to buy that load. Kid snapped back into reality, and realize that Serge and Leena were waiting for her. She started to pick up her pace, when she tripped on a black rock. Though the pain was only slight to her, she found it too hard to get up. She scooted herself to the side to get out of people's way. As she moved... she watched the rock. As innocent as it looked, it seemed to follow her in which ever direction she decided to move. Kid took out her dagger and held it close to her, preparing for the worst.  
  


**II.**  


A black mist was expelled by the rock and all of the sudden, Kid was surrounded by four shadow cats. For a few seconds they loomed over her, but they then congealed into the dark figure of Lynx. At his side, like always was Harle  
"Ah, Kid. At last I have you in a position that is favorable to me." Lynx sneered.  
"What tha hell do ya want with me, ya bloody bastard!?" Kid scowled at Lynx with hatred boiling in her body.  
"Perhaps when weakest when contemplating love, you shall be strongest when living in pure hatred..."  
Lynx's menacing golden eyes pierced Kids deep blue ones.  
  
"What in blazes are you talking about, ya loon?!"   
"Come with me and you shall find out..."  
  
Before Kid coul protest, Harle touched her shoulder and they disappeared into a vortex of time and space, with an ominous black cloud.  
  


**III.**  


All of the sudden, Leena looked up. She was shaken by a vision of fleeting black mist, and when she looked down the road she saw it; where the action had just taken place.  
Without saying a word, and without quite thinking, Leena grabbed Serge's wrist and pulled him down the road within about two feet of the vicinity of the mist. There they saw a piece of bubbling, fuming coal, or what seemed to be coal. The bubbles were menacing and boiling hot. One popped and spat hot black liquid at Serge and Leena. They jumped back just in time.  
"What happened here??" Leena asked in a concerned tone.  
"I don't know, maybe someone got robbed." Serge blurted out. He wasn't quite willing to get Leena involved. Her pensiveness and fear would almost definetly get in the way, especially since he suspected that this had to do with Kid's disappearance... however, Serge realized that this was actually the bravest he had ever seen Leena. Maybe she was ready to come along on his adventures after all.  
The fumes were starting to get to Serge's and Leena's heads. They both began to feel faint. But they both realized that this had to be some kind of clue as to what happened to Kid. Leena was going fast. But she had an idea.  
"Serge, hand me your swallow," she said with fainter voice than Serge had last heard.  
Serge gave his swallow to Leena, who was already kneeling on the ground considerably weaker. She took the swallow from Serge and used it to sweep the ravenous substance into her frying pan. Leena put the lid on with the last ounce of strength she had, and fainted. The pan fell to the ground.  


  
**IV.**  


Serge panicked. How would he get Leena to a safe place? How long could he last while travelling with this vicious mystery substance? He cautiously picked up Leena's frying pan and placed with his other items.  
  
  
Suddenly, he realized a safe place that Leena could be taken to. He picked her up gently and carried her hurriedly to Lisa's Element Shoppe.  
"Lisa," Serge burst open the door in panic, "Leena fainted while coming into minimal contact with a suspicious substance. I need for you to take care of her while I go to look for help."  
"Of course I'll help. Thank you for taking care of her." Lisa said with a large amount of concern in her eyes. She helped Serge carry Leena to the back room, and placed her gently on the bed.  
"I have to go immediatly to find someone who can tell me what this substance is. Do you have any ideas?"  
"Why don't you try the old hermit? I hear he's very wise."  
"Okay, thank you very much. I will be back soon to check on her." Serge waved and flew out the door.  
  
Serge left Termina faster than he had ever done anything else in his life. He took out his teleporter and called on Korcha and Skelly. He explained what happened with Leena to the two of them as fast as he could and told them that they needed to head down to Arni to find Radius.   
They started their trudge down to Arni. Korcha was starting to look pale. Suddenly, half way through Fossil Valley, he stopped and collapsed.  
"Hey guys, wait up, won'CHA???"  
Serge turned around quickly and saw Korcha half on the ground. He was grasping his chest, as if he were out of breath.  
"What happened, Korcha?"  
"Well I have to say, I felt this way since I got teleported here, but I just kinda collapsed. I'm very drowzy and very dizzy, and it feels like the blood has just stopped coursin' through my veins."  
"Well how bout I teleport you out and when we get to Arni, I'll leave you there to rest??"  
"GotCHA. Thanks, Serge."  
Skelly helped Korcha up, and supported him as Serge ran ahead. Korcha squinted his eyes as they started to walk...  
"Do ya know if Serge met up with Kid yet?"  
"I do not... she could be anywhere now. But I'm sure they met up... Serge would make sure of it, nyuk nyuk." Skelly's jaws clicked as he laughed out loud.  
"WhatCHA laughin' about, skinny?" Korcha said in half a daze. He felt an unsure pang in his side, which usually told him that he was being (or going to be) threatened, but he didn't know if he was hallucinating or not so he did not act upon it.  
"Nyuk, nyuk, nothin much. Let's get a move on... Serge is waitin for us up ahead. You can get some rest in Arni."  
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_That's the end of the first chapter... this was my first fic so I would appreciate input... should I continue?? Thanks for reading :)  
  
_


	2. Pieces Missing

**Thoughts Right Now: Pieces Missing  
By RedRaspberryswirl  
  
V.  
**

Lynx, Harle and Kid materialized in a cold damp room. The location of the room was a unknown to Kid. As soon as she landed on the ground, she collapsed, unconcious. Lynx was after Kid's Astral Amulet. He grabbed for it--  
  
"Non, Monsieur Lynx, let her rest! She will be of non use to us until she is rested up."  
Lynx scowled at Kid and drew his hand back.  
  
Meanwhile, Kid's mind was wandering deep within itself. _Oi, bugger! Where in blazes am I? And where are Serge and Leena?? Oi! They're prolly makin' out somewhere cause I'm a no-show. Bloody Dragon Gods! I'll kill Serge if he's smoochin with that hussy!  
_A sharp pain ran through Kid's spine. It was the kind of contagious pain where, once it started in once place, it spread slowly throughout the body.  
  
Lynx and Harle turned away from Kid and walked around the corner to a dark, damp and moldy wall of the building they were in. Lynx closed his eyes, focused all his strength into his schythe, and lunged at a knuckle-sized hole in the wall. An opening appeared and sucked Lynx and Harle inside.  


  
**VI.  
**

Serge arrived at the gates of Arni in a matter of minutes, with Skelly and Korcha not long after him.  
"Hey Serge... where should we leave Korcha to rest? He's getting kinda heavy." Korcha had completely fainted, and Skelly was now wearing him around his neck like a stoll. Serge looked up abruptly.  
"Huh?? Oh! My house is over there," he points to the farthest left of the straw houses that were facing them, "My bedroom is up the stairs." Skelly headed off toward Serge's house, while Serge stood in somewhat of a daze.  
"What am I supposed to be doing now?" he thought to himself. He looked around him: all the action in Arni was beginning to slow down. "Huh? What's going on here? Why is everyone moving in slow motion?"  
"SERGE! YOU KILLER!! GET OUT OF HERE, YOU MURDERER!!" a voice he couldn't quite recognize yelled. It continued, "YOU'RE KILLING EVERYONE!! HOW COULD YOU?" Radius' voice was finally recognizable. He seemed so close.   
Serge's vision blurred. When it cleared again, he saw, to his horror, that all motion in Arni had ceased. Every person on the street was now lying on the ground, including Radius. He blinked to see if he was just hallucinating, but it was no use.  
"Great Dragon Gods! What happened??? Shit! I better get out of here!!"  
Just as Serge was turning to leave, he heard Skelly's voice.  
"Ehh, Serge! Where are you going? Should I stay behind?"  
"Yes!" Serge said quickly, without thinking.  
He ran out of Arni, but stopped right out side. _Where am I going?_ he thought. His determination had turned into complete and utter confusion. Then out of nowhere, it occured to him...  
_RADIUS!!! I WAS SUPPOSED TO SEE RADIUS!!! OH SHIT!! WHAT AM I GONNA DO NOW??  
  
_

**VII.  
**

"...the substance is called 'Shadow Poison'. It is rare ashes from Lavos. The substance itself is used by Black innates for teleportation to this Shrine, but the fumes are extremely poisonous. The poison is potent and rather irreversable-- that is to colored innates. In White innates, the poison is not effective, but a side effect specific to that innate occurs: The victim becomes so focused in the moment... so enraptured in what ever they are doing, that they cannot function. The mind fights itself as well as the body, leaving the the victim exceptionally vulnerable. The only innate that is completely immune to this kind of poison is obviously Black." Lynx explained to Harle.  
"Zat iz trez amazing, Monsieur Lynx!!" Harle said with complete interest in her eyes. However, deep down, she did not know if she liked the killing aspect of this plan, but she kept quiet and listened to Lynx as he continued.  
"Serge will become so confused and disorganized that he will literally incapacitate himself. Thus we can easily find him and transport him here for the second part of my plan." Lynx gave a little menacing chuckle then nodded at Harle and walked into the shadows. Harle felt a chill go down her spine, but shook it off and followed Lynx as if on cue.  
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_That's the end of my long-awaited second chapter... it's getting interesting, ehh? :D tell me what you think!!!!_


	3. Lost in Thought

**Thoughts Right Now: Lost in Thought  
By RedRaspberryswirl  
  
VIII.**  


Kid, cold and nervous, suddenly came to. Her eyes fluttered opened. _Oiiii… It's so dark in 'ere! Where am I?_ She looked around slowly. It was a dark, stone cathedral, almost… but it did not give off the right vibes to be a cathedral. And the damp, musty air also was unwelcoming to her. She tried to stand up, but felt the wrath of the pain that was circulating throughout her body.  
  
"OWWW!!!" she nearly screamed, then collapsed back to the floor. _Oi! I don't feel pain much, but, buddy, this is an exception!!_, she thought. _I better heal me' self up so I can fight…_ Kid went to look through her elements.   
"Oi! Bugger!! Every element is gone! Even me techs… all that be left are white attacks!!"  
  
Lynx materialized behind her. "Yes, Kid, and every white element that you use will make IT stronger." He whispered just quietly enough so that Kid would not hear him, and disappeared again.  
  


**IX.**  


_Serge!! Vake up!!_ A voice said.  
  
Serge turned over. His eyes had not been shut, but were glazed over with a thick fog.  
"Luccia?? Luccia? Where are you??!" Serge said frantically.  
  
"I am right over here, Serge! Are you OK?? Glenn and I found you outside of Arni, paralyzed almost."  
  
"Yeah, one more minute and you would've been Heckran bait!" Glenn's voice said. It was a bit farther away than Luccia's. "You didn't have your swallow with you, did you lose it?? Did someone take it from you?"  
  
"Glenn, he cannot understand what you are saying to him, he is deep in thought. He can only hear your voice. Inside his head, he has one billion different thoughts moving about. And it's all thanks to this!" Luccia said, and pulled out Leena's frying pan. "Stay back Glenn, zis stuff could very vell kill you." Luccia put the frying pan on her desk and opened the lid slowly. A cloud of black smoke lifted into Luccia's face, but she didn't even cough.  
  
"Now, zis is a substance I have not seen in ages! Shadow Poison! Glenn close the door. I'll come get you ven it is safe."  
  
The door shut.  
  
"Serge, if you can hear me, I am putting special drops in your eyes to cleanse them, it might sting a little. It should also make you a little less consumed in thought."  
Serge nodded slightly, and Luccia smirked. She knew that Serge was not completely consumed… that he was trying to fight his trance. She leaned over and put two drops of a translucent liquid into Serge's left eye.  
  
"aaahHHHHHHHHHHGAAAHH!!" Serge screamed and put both his hands over his eye.  
  
"Serge, relax, zhe pain iz a good thing, it is temporarily removing the haze." Luccia tried to calm him by rubbing his wrist and speaking directly into his ear. She put two drops in his other eye, and she could see that Serge was desperately holding back a scream of anguish. She took a few steps back to let the liquid do its job.  
  
Serge rubbed his eyes profusely for a few minutes, and then looked up slowly at Luccia.   
"Luccia??! What happened to me? I completely blanked out!"  
  
"Zhe mineral you vere carrying vas very dangerous to you health, Serge. I can make you a substance that can slow down zhe affects… smother if you vill, the poisonous fumes… zat is, if you really vant to be carrying it around…"  
  
"What mineral? What are you talking about Luccia?"  
  
"Zhe mineral in zhe frying pan you vere carrying… it is called Shadow Poison. It is very poisonous to colored innates… Red, Green, Blue and Yellow. In White innates, it causes vone to lose zhere mind by having the victim slowly take in everything… it came close to completely incapacitating you. Black Innates are zhe only vone's zhat are immune to it--"  
  
"WAIT!!! I've heard this before--in a dream! It was also…. used by Black innates to teleport to a shrine, right?!"  
  
"…Zat is correct, Serge! Zis shrine is a shrine to zhe ultimate monster: Hatred. Zat is all zhat I know. Lucca vas going to teach me more… vell, anyvay, vhy don't you rest while I make you zat substance. I vill show you how and vhen to use it, because I can only make a small supply."  
  


**X.**  


Leena moaned quietly. Though she was conscious, it felt like she was having a dream. She saw Kid lying in a dark room, yet she also saw the same Kid lying outside of a Termina bar.   
Leena could not open her eyes, how ever hard she tried. Her skin was prickling and twitching and numb, all at the same time; and her muscles seemed to have no substance. And she was in pain, a pain greater than she had ever experienced before in her life. Suddenly she felt cool water being slowly poured on her face.  
  
_Her fever has gone down_, a male voice said over her. Leena could not recognize the voice that rang over her. She twitched defensively, even though it was hard for her to move.  
  
_Yes, I believe you are correct. That is a good sign. I just hope that Serge can come back in time with an antidote_, another voice spoke.  
Leena pursed her lips, hoping to say, _"Why, what is wrong with me?"_, but all that came out was another moan.  
  
_She seems to be trying to wake up_, the first voice said. I'll give her some more water. Leena's skin was suddenly calmed… it felt like skin again. Her eyelids suddenly began to feel less heavy. She fluttered them open to realize that she was in the care of Lisa and her father, lying down on the bed in the back room.  
  
"I HAVE TO GO!" Leena suddenly yelled.  
  
"Go where darling? You're sick, you must stay in bed." Lisa's father said.  
  
"I just have to go!" Leena said. She felt almost revitalized. She jumped up and ran out the door.  


  
***  


  
Leena was still weak and dizzy, and did not get far running. She tripped over a black stone outside of the bar. Grasping her ankle in pain, she could see the stone was very familiar. And slowly she could make out the outline of a girl, lying on the ground right next to her.  
  
_KID!!_ Leena thought. _Kid is still here!_ Kid's body materialized, life-less. Leena took a breath and slowly touched her limp body. Upon doing so, a vortex opened and Leena was sucked in, with an ominous black cloud trailing her.  
  
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_That's the end of the 3rd chapter… this is going to be a long story, I can tell, and I would like to thank everyone that is following it. Again, I'm still holding the contest for a continuation… so if you're interested send me your ideas at Pixsefaery@aol.com!! Thank you again!! |*(^_^)*|_  
  
  
  
  



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